What is Jay-Z accused of?

This Monday, the entire Internet woke up to the news that the Diddy-gate whirlwind also swept in Jay-Z. What happened is that one of the victims, and one of the main accusers of P. Diddy, added a modification to her legal case just yesterday, including Jay-Z among the defendants. In the initial version of the accusation, it only mentioned a "Celebrity A". The plaintiff, identified as "Jane Doe" to protect her privacy, claimed that Jay-Z (stage name of Shawn Carter) and Sean Combs assaulted her during an after-party of the MTV Video Music Awards in 2000, when she was only 13 years old. According to the report, the victim, in an attempt to access the ceremony or related events, approached several limousine drivers near Radio City Music Hall. A driver affiliated with Combs agreed to take her to a party at a «large white residence with a U-shaped driveway» where, after consuming a drink that made her feel «woozy and lightheaded», she withdrew to an empty bedroom to recover. The crime allegedly took place there, first at the hands of Jay-Z and later by Combs. During the latter's assault, the girl reportedly managed to hit him on the neck and escape the party, finding refuge at a gas station where her father picked her up. In any case, Jay-Z issued a statement through Roc Nation denying the accusations.

In addition to denying the accusations, Jay-Z spoke of an extortion attempt orchestrated by the plaintiff's attorney, Tony Buzbee, accused by the rapper and producer of seeking visibility through sensationalistic tactics. Jay-Z defined the allegations «so heinous in nature that I implore you to file a criminal complaint, not a civil one!! Whomever would commit such a crime against a minor should be locked away, would you not agree?» Even P. Diddy, whose position is far less defensible given the 30 civil lawsuits for allegations of sexual abuse, and charges of sex trafficking and racketeering, accused attorney Buzbee of exploiting the legal system to gain publicity. These allegations refer to Buzbee's unorthodox methods in promoting his cases and recruiting clients through hotlines, Instagram channels, and press conferences. Moreover, last month, the lawyer and his firm were themselves sued by an anonymous plaintiff (presumed to be Jay-Z) after the latter received a letter informing him of the lawsuit. The decision to publicly reveal the name of "Celebrity A" came in response to this counter-offensive by the rapper. On November 18, attorney Buzbee responded to the allegations with a lengthy Instagram post: 

« The case filed against my firm is not only without legal merit, it is laughable. Here is why: On behalf of two clients who allege sexual assault, we sent a standard demand letter to a New York lawyer that we know represents an alleged perpetrator and potential defendant. The letters were sent seeking a confidential mediation in lieu of filing a lawsuit. No amount of money was included in the demand letters. No threats were made. The demand letters sent are no different than the ones routinely sent by lawyers across the country in all types of cases. It is obvious that the frivolous lawsuit filed against my firm is an aggressive attempt to intimidate or silence me and ultimately my clients […] Since our professional efforts at resolution obviously have failed, we will instead disclose the demand letters we sent at the time we file suit».

In all this, as reported by the New York Times, the judge overseeing the case in New York intends to reevaluate the contentious issue of "Jane Doe's" anonymity, which was granted on a temporary basis and will now be reassessed—how remains unknown. As attorney Buzbee specified in another Instagram post, «the defendant is typically informed of the identity of the alleged victim immediately and goes through the case with every ability to defend himself. Proceeding in this manner just means that the case proceeds with the survivor being shielded from the public until the time of trial». Nonetheless, the anonymity of victims also became a contentious issue last month when some federal judges denied anonymity requests in the cases of many of Diddy's accusers, and just two days ago, one of them came forward to ensure the trial could proceed.